Written Answers Wednesday 16 November 2005

Scottish Executive

Alcohol Misuse

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities have introduced local bye-laws to ban the consumption of alcohol in public places.

Cathy Jamieson: There are currently 27 local authorities that have introduced byelaws prohibiting the consumption of alcohol in designated public places. The local authorities are:

  Aberdeen City Council

  Angus Council

  Argyll and Bute Council

  Clackmannanshire Council

  Comhairle nan Eilean Siar

  Dumfries and Galloway Council

  Dundee City Council

  East Ayrshire Council

  East Dunbartonshire Council

  East Lothian Council

  East Renfrewshire Council

  Falkirk Council

  Fife Council

  Glasgow City Council

  Highland Council

  Inverclyde Council

  Midlothian Council

  Moray Council

  North Ayrshire Council

  North Lanarkshire Council

  Perth and Kinross Council

  Renfrewshire Council

  South Ayrshire Council

  South Lanarkshire Council

  Stirling Council

  West Dunbartonshire Council

  West Lothian Council.

Ambulance Service

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many ambulances there were in the NHS in each year since 1995.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Scottish Ambulance Service’s fleet establishment for accident and emergency and non-emergency vehicles in each year since 1995 is listed in the following table:

  

 Year
 Accident and Emergency
 Non-Emergency


 1995-96
 448
 449


 1996-97
 443
 449


 1997-98
 443
 456


 1998-99
 443
 456


 1999-2000
 441
 460


 2000-01
 444
 465


 2001-02
 448
 488


 2002-03
 447
 499


 2003-04
 450
 520


 2004-05
 450
 520


 2005-06 (to October 2005)
 450
 520



  New accident and emergency units and non-emergency vehicles are introduced into the fleet each year as part of the ambulance service’s vehicle replacement programme.

  Since 2002-03, the Scottish Ambulance Service has been enhancing its service to patients by rolling out its priority based dispatch system across Scotland, whereby those patients with the greatest need receive the quickest response. In addition to these accident and emergency ambulances, the ambulance service has 46 vehicles which are used as rapid response vehicles. These vehicles are manned by a paramedic who responds to Category A life threatening calls, mostly in urban areas, and treats the patient until an ambulance arrives.

  As well as the rapid response units, first responder schemes have been set up across some of the more remote and rural areas of Scotland. These schemes are staffed by volunteers trained by the ambulance service to provide patient care in serious cases until an ambulance arrives. Currently there are around 30 first responder schemes in Scotland.

Asylum Seekers

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many meetings have been held between its officials and Home Office officials regarding the development of a protocol covering all removals of the children of asylum seeker families in Scotland.

Robert Brown: Three.

Asylum Seekers

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many meetings have taken place at ministerial level with the Home Office in respect of the development of a protocol covering all removals of the children of asylum seeker families in Scotland and which ministers have taken part.

Robert Brown: There have been two ministerial meetings on the development of an agreement with the Home Office. These meetings have involved Home Office Ministers and the First Minister.

Asylum Seekers

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the issue of a moratorium on "dawn raids" until a protocol covering all removals of the children of asylum seeker families in Scotland is established has been raised with Her Majesty’s Government at either official or ministerial level.

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether recognition of Scotland’s distinctive child protection mechanisms has formed part of the negotiation process in respect of the development of a protocol covering all removals of the children of asylum seeker families in Scotland.

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the length of time families have been resident in Scotland, and the need for that to be taken into account as part of the Home Office decision-making process, has been raised in negotiations on the development of a protocol covering all removals of the children of asylum seeker families in Scotland.

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether discussions on the terms of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child as they apply to the children of asylum seeker families has formed part of negotiations with the Home Office on the development of a protocol covering all removals of the children of asylum seeker families in Scotland.

Robert Brown: Discussions with the Home Office on the detail of an agreement covering the removal of children are on-going and it would be wrong to comment on the content at this stage. Once agreement is reached, ministers will report back to the Parliament.

Asylum Seekers

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the negotiation process with the Home Office on the development of a protocol covering all removals of the children of asylum seeker families in Scotland is expected to conclude.

Robert Brown: Discussions with the Home Office are progressing. Work will be completed as quickly as possible.

Asylum Seekers

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans the First Minister has to meet the Home Secretary to ratify the protocol covering all removals of the children of asylum seeker families in Scotland once negotiations are concluded.

Robert Brown: Arrangements for formalising an agreement with the Home Office are part of discussions about the agreement itself. Once agreement is reached, ministers will report back to the Parliament.

Asylum Seekers

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many meetings its officials have had with colleagues at the Home Office with regard to the removal of asylum seeker families with children in Scotland since April 2005.

Robert Brown: Four.

Asylum Seekers

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many times the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration has been in contact with officials at the Scottish Executive to express concern about the removal of asylum seekers’ children since January 2005.

Robert Brown: The Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration has never been in contact with officials at the Scottish Executive to express any such concern.

Asylum Seekers

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to publish any legal advice it or any of its agencies hold regarding the remit of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 and how that Act applies to children of asylum seekers.

Robert Brown: We have no such plans.

Asylum Seekers

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it or its agencies monitor the care and protection of children referred to the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration who are in the intervening investigation period deported by the Home Office.

Robert Brown: Once a child has been removed responsibility for the monitoring of care and protection rests with the authorities of the receiving state.

Asylum Seekers

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many children of asylum seekers who were referred to the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration were referred on grounds that they were potentially at risk because they lived in the same household as an offender under Schedule 1 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1975, from 2003 to date.

Robert Brown: This is a matter for the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration and I have asked the Principal Reporter to write to you.

Asylum Seekers

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received any advice from clinical child psychologists on the potential psychological harm to children of asylum seekers who are referred to the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration but deported before investigations by the Children’s Reporter were completed.

Robert Brown: No.

Asylum Seekers

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what average notification time it received from Home Office officials prior to them carrying out a removal of children of asylum seekers who may potentially have been subject to a referral to the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration from January 2003 to November 2005.

Robert Brown: The removal of asylum seekers is a reserved matter. The Executive does not currently routinely receive notification prior to a removal being carried out.

Asylum Seekers

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-19584 by Robert Brown on 24 October 2005, whether it will publish any concerns which it raised directly with the Home Office regarding the welfare of children removed from their home in October and November 2005 with any personal or individual information properly redacted.

Robert Brown: Ministers have expressed concerns that the removal of all asylum seeker families with children should be handled sensitively, humanely and proportionately. The agreement that we are developing with the Home Office will help address these concerns.

Audiology

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) children and (b) adults are awaiting cochlear implants in each NHS board area and what projections have been made of the number of cochlear implant treatments in the next five years.

Mr Andy Kerr: Cochlear implantation is designated and funded as a national specialist service provided at two sites in Scotland: Crosshouse Hospital in Ayrshire (adults and children) and Edinburgh Royal Infirmary (adults). The number of patients waiting at each site is set out in the table. The numbers have not been broken down by NHS board of residence because patient confidentiality could be compromised, given the small numbers involved.

  

 Location
 Number of Patients Waiting


 Initial Consultation
 Implant Surgery


 Crosshouse Hospital
 8
 6


 Edinburgh Royal Infirmary
 3
 5



  The number of cochlear implants carried out each year is expected to continue at around 50, split approximately equally between children and adults.

Building Standards

Nora Radcliffe (Gordon) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how it or the Scottish Building Standards Agency can enforce the obligations on local authorities to comply with the provisions of the Building (Scotland) Regulations 2004.

Johann Lamont: I have asked Dr Paul Stollard, Chief Executive of the Scottish Building Standards Agency (SBSA), to answer. His response is as follows:

  The duty to comply with the Building (Scotland) Regulations 2004 lies with the owner or, in some cases the tenant, who is carrying out the work for which a building warrant is required. It is the responsibility of all local authorities, as verifiers of the system of building standards, to enforce the provisions of the Building (Scotland) Act 2003 and the SBSA will be monitoring the authorities on their performance.

Cancer

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients have been waiting to commence anti-tumour necrosis factor therapy in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board.

Mr Andy Kerr: This information is not available centrally. Prescription of the anti-TNF drugs should be undertaken by consultant rheumatologists specialising in their use. Data on drugs dispensed in hospitals are not available centrally. Centrally collected data relate to prescribed items dispensed in the community by community pharmacists and dispensing doctors. These data are not patient specific.

  Where NHS Quality Improvement Scotland or the Scottish Medicines Consortium has issued advice on the use of the anti-TNF drugs, NHSScotland should take account of the advice and ensure that these drugs are made available to meet clinical need.

Central Heating Programme

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will introduce a fast-track method of prioritising the central heating programme for those with certificated medical needs.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive has been consulting key stakeholders on proposals for the new programme, including the option of a fast track for particularly pressing cases. We will announce our decisions in the light of that consultation process in due course.

Education

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average funding was per pupil in special schools in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority.

Robert Brown: Local authority reported expenditure on special education is published in Expenditure on School Education in Scotland, 2005 , table 4.1, which is available at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/bulletins/00389-20.asp.

  These figures include all aspects of expenditure on special education, including where pupils are in mainstream schools. It is therefore not possible to calculate per pupil expenditure figures for special schools.

Emergency Services

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation has been undertaken with key fire service stakeholders regarding the future of emergency fire control rooms.

Hugh Henry: All stakeholders were given the opportunity to comment on the 2004 Mott MacDonald report The Future of Fire Service Control Rooms in Scotland commissioned by the Scottish Executive. We have indicated our intention to consult further with stakeholders following our consideration of the issues raised in response to the report.

Emergency Services

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans further consultation with key fire service stakeholders regarding the future of emergency fire control rooms.

Hugh Henry: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-20191 on 10 November 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Emergency Services

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will specifically consult trade unions, including the Fire Brigades Union, on the future of emergency fire control rooms.

Hugh Henry: Trade unions had the opportunity to comment on the 2004 Mott MacDonald report The Future of Fire Service Control Rooms in Scotland commissioned by the Scottish Executive. The Fire Brigades Union submitted its comments in response to that consultation exercise. We have indicated our intention to consult further with stakeholders following our consideration of the issues raised in response to the report.

Emergency Services

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to make a decision about the future of emergency fire control rooms.

Hugh Henry: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-20189 on 9 November 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Emergency Services

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Mott MacDonald report, The Future of Fire Service Control Rooms in Scotland , will directly influence its position in respect of the number of emergency fire control rooms.

Hugh Henry: We have previously indicated that we recognise the contribution the report makes to the debate on improvement and modernisation of the fire and rescue service in Scotland. We will give due regard to the report’s recommendations, and representations made to us by stakeholders, in reaching a decision on the future of emergency fire control rooms.

Health

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many incidences of tuberculosis (TB) there were in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board.

Mr Andy Kerr: The total number of cases and the population incidence of TB in Scotland have remained relatively stable over recent years (less than 400 cases each year and an incidence less than eight per 100,000). We are now targeting BCG vaccination programmes to those parts of the population at most risk of exposure to TB.

  The information requested is shown in the following table.

  

 
 Number of TB case Reports


 NHS Board of Notification
 2000
 2001
 2002
 2003
 2004*


 Argyll and Clyde
 35
 29
 30
 34
 17


 Ayrshire and Arran
 21
 12
 11
 10
 6


 Fife
 19
 16
 10
 17
 15


 Forth Valley
 7
 5
 4
 12
 5


 Grampian
 21
 30
 33
 18
 23


 Greater Glasgow
 170
 154
 195
 167
 171


 Highland
 15
 12
 5
 7
 9


 Lanarkshire 
 22
 30
 35
 29
 35


 Lothian
 59
 47
 53
 53
 80


 Tayside
 24
 11
 11
 11
 16


 All other NHS Boards †
 10
 5
 6
 8
 7


 Scotland
 403
 351
 393
 366
 384



  

 
 TB Rate (per 100,000)


 NHS Board of Notification
 2000
 2001
 2002
 2003
 2004*


 Argyll and Clyde
 8.3
 6.9
 7.2
 8.2
 4.1


 Ayrshire and Arran
 5.7
 3.3
 3.0
 2.7
 1.6


 Fife
 5.5
 4.6
 2.9
 4.8
 4.2


 Forth Valley
 2.5
 1.8
 1.4
 4.3
 1.8


 Grampian
 4.0
 5.7
 6.3
 3.4
 4.4


 Greater Glasgow
 19.6
 17.7
 22.5
 19.3
 19.7


 Highland
 7.2
 5.7
 2.4
 3.3
 4.3


 Lanarkshire 
 4.0
 5.4
 6.3
 5.2
 6.3


 Lothian
 7.6
 6.0
 6.8
 6.8
 10.2


 Tayside
 6.1
 2.8
 2.8
 2.8
 4.1


 All other NHS Boards†
 3.1
 1.6
 1.9
 2.5
 2.2


 Scotland
 8.0
 6.9
 7.8
 7.2
 7.6



  Notes:

  *Data is provisional.

  †To avoid deductive disclosure from small numbers, the data for Borders, Dumfries and Galloway, Orkney, Shetland and Western Isles NHS Boards is aggregated.

Infant Mortality

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the infant mortality rate is and how this compares with other nations.

Lewis Macdonald: This information is already in the public domain and can be downloaded from the General Register Office for Scotland website at www.gro-scotland.gov.uk . We do not hold the infant mortality rates for other nations.

Meat Industry

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-19552 by Lewis Macdonald on 27 October 2005, which countries are designated BSE-free.

Lewis Macdonald: The Food Standards Agency advises me that the following countries are designated exempt from the requirements of the TSE Regulation (EC/999/2001): Australia, Argentina, Botswana, Brazil, Chile, El Salvador, Iceland, Namibia, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Singapore, Swaziland, Uruguay and Vanuatu.

  This list is subject to change as the risk assessments of further countries are completed or circumstances change within countries already assessed.

Meat Industry

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-19552 by Lewis Macdonald on 27 October 2005, which countries are approved for the purpose of importing meat.

Lewis Macdonald: The Food Standards Agency advises me that lists of establishments in non-EU countries currently approved to supply animal products to the EU, are available on the Commission website listed by country and listed by animal product.

  Country: http://forum.europa.eu.int/irc/sanco/vets/info/data/listes/list_all.html

  Animal Product: http://forum.europa.eu.int/irc/sanco/vets/info/data/listes/list_prod.html.

Meat Industry

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-19552 by Lewis Macdonald on 27 November 2005, what controls are in place to ensure that meat imported from outwith the European Union is subject to the feed ban that prohibits the feeding of processed animal protein to livestock kept for the production of food.

Lewis Macdonald: The Food Standards Agency advises me that currently there is no requirement for countries outwith the EU to have a permanent feed ban in place prohibiting the feeding of processed animal protein to livestock kept for the production of food. The Commission requirement for all meat imports to be accompanied by health certification attesting that a feeding ban of mammalian protein is in place and effectively enforced will come into force by 1 July 2007.

  Currently, meat imported into the EU must be accompanied by a health certificate declaring that the product is free from Specified Risk Material (SRM) and mechanically recovered meat and that the method of slaughter used prevents contamination from SRM. The removal of SRM is the primary health safeguard and removes over 99% of infectivity. Imports of meat from designated low-risk BSE countries are exempt from this requirement.

NHS Hospitals

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many beds have been available in each NHS hospital in each year since 1997, broken down by major category.

Mr Andy Kerr: The information requested is given in the table Average Available Staffed Beds by NHS Hospital and Specialty Group 1998 - 2005 . A copy of which has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 37985).

  The table shows information on average available staffed beds. This indicates the average daily number of beds, which were staffed and were available for the reception of in-patients and day cases. Borrowed and temporary beds are included; beds in day bed units are excluded.

  The Executive does not set target numbers for beds. These are local planning decisions taken by NHS boards who have the information necessary to make the correct judgements.

  There are good reasons for reductions in bed numbers. These include:

  Medical advances continue to reduce lengths of stay associated with many planned procedures, and some are now routinely carried out in a few hours without the need for any overnight stay.

  Numbers of in-patient beds do not include beds in dedicated day surgery units. 64% of elective admissions are day cases where there is no need for an overnight bed.

  NHSScotland is making better use of available beds. Average bed occupancy has risen from 78.5% in 1997-98 to 81.7% in 2004-05.

NHS Staff

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost to each NHS board of legal fees for defending equal pay claims has been in each year since 1997.

Mr Andy Kerr: Health boards in NHS Scotland have fiscal responsibility for the budgets allocated to them by the Scottish Executive. We therefore do not hold centrally details on the cost of legal fees incurred by individual boards.

Pensions

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it made to Her Majesty’s Government prior to the agreement reached at the Public Services Forum in relation to public sector pensions, announced by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on 18 October 2005.

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it was consulted by Her Majesty’s Government prior to the agreement reached at the Public Services Forum in relation to public sector pensions, announced by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on 18 October 2005.

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the financial implications for the Executive of the agreement reached at the Public Services Forum in relation to public sector pensions, announced by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on 18 October 2005.

Mr Tom McCabe: Occupational and personal pensions are reserved matters under the Scotland Act 1998 and are the responsibility of the UK Government. However, Scottish ministers have the devolved responsibility for making regulations to establish and maintain public pensions schemes in Scotland, subject to the approval of HM Treasury. The Scottish Public Pensions Agency (SPPA) administers the Scottish Teachers and NHS Superannuation Schemes on the Scottish ministers’ behalf.

  Following the UK Government’s proposals in 2003 for public service pension reforms based on establishing a normal pension age of 65, the SPPA (in conjunction with unions and employers in Scotland) arranged public consultations on pension reform proposals for teachers and the NHS in Scotland. These consultations were completed in spring 2005. The SPPA, with other administrators of the public service pension schemes across the UK provided information to the UK Government on views and option costs following these consultations. The agency also attended meetings of the UK Public Services Forum in an observer capacity.

  In taking forward the pension reform proposals in Scotland, the SPPA will now be discussing the implications of the agreed forum principles with representatives of teaching and NHS unions and employers and assessing the financial implications for each scheme. Further consultation is planned, once initial proposals have been agreed with unions and employers. The UK Government has already said that it expects the overall level of savings from increasing pension ages to be comparable to that previously assumed. The framework requires each scheme to work within a cost envelope which will be set out at an early stage of negotiations.

Planning

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how its planning proposals will ensure the development of mixed communities where people are able to work and live and reduce the emphasis on zoning land for single usage.

Johann Lamont: Development planning provides a framework to deliver better outcomes, by coordinating economic, social and environmental factors and ensuring that long-term consequences and short-term effects of development and change can be addressed.

  The white paper proposes that development plans will be updated every five years to ensure that they are relevant to conditions on the ground and able to take into account the latest policy and advice on the creation of more sustainable communities.

Planning

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how it can ensure that adequate land supply is allocated for development, including housing.

Johann Lamont: Development plans are the main vehicle for identifying land for development, including housing. Scottish Planning Policy 3 (SPP3) sets out the need for development allocation of land in plans to reflect assessments of housing needs in allocating land for housing. The White Paper, Modernising the Planning System proposes several measures for improving development planning, including, for the first time, a statutory requirement to update development plans every five years. This will help to ensure that the need for land for development, including housing, is properly reflected in the development plan framework.

Police

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what it estimates the savings would be of moving to (a) three and (b) five police forces and, if such information is not available, what information it has on the potential savings of reducing the number of police forces in operation.

Cathy Jamieson: We have no current plans to rationalise police forces in Scotland, and consequently have no estimates of the potential resource implications involved in reducing the number of police forces in operation.

Regulation of Care

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the current national training scheme is for care workers working with older people.

Robert Brown: The Scottish Executive recently launched a National Strategy for Development of the Social Service Workforce: A Plan for Action 2005-2010 . This strategy sets out what is already happening, as well as what now needs to be done, and by whom, to develop a competent, confident and valued social service workforce. This includes those working with older people. Funding was also announced to support implementation of the strategy. This can be found at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/11/07104403/44040.

  Other activity supports training the workforce. Providers of care services regulated by the Care Commission under the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001 are required by regulations to ensure that their employees receive training appropriate to the work they are to perform and to give suitable assistance for the purpose of obtaining further qualifications appropriate to their work. The National Care Standards also provide further guidance on staff training requirements where appropriate.

  The Scottish Social Services Council, established under the same act, is the regulatory body for the social service workforce. To register with the Council, workers will be required to meet conditions. These include meeting the qualifications criteria for the job they are doing, as set by the council. Registration of the workforce is being carried out in phases. The next groups of workers to be registered are managers of adult care homes and managers of adult day care services. Registration of these workers will commence in 2006.

Scottish Executive Procurement

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what meetings have taken place between the First Minister or Deputy First Minister and business representatives or organisations with the purpose of discussing the Executive’s procurement policies and their impact on Scottish businesses since 1 September 2005; who these meetings were with; who represented the Executive in each meeting, and what the outcomes were of the meetings.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Deputy First Minister met with representatives of Graham Technologies on 21 September to discuss issues, including public sector procurement. The Director of the Scottish Procurement Directorate and the Head of Business Growth and Innovation Division also attended on behalf of the Scottish Executive. The Deputy First Minister agreed at the meeting that he would be interested in visiting the Graham Technology premises to learn more about their work.

  Both the First Minister and Deputy First Minister also attended the Business in the Parliament Conference 2005, held on 9 September. Information about the conference is available on the Parliament’s website.

Scottish Natural Heritage

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) has discharged its legal responsibilities as owners of Kinloch Castle in Rum; whether SNH has carried out necessary work to the building in order to keep it in good and safe condition; whether it will invite SNH to put forward its proposals for Kinloch Castle, and whether it has any concerns that without substantial work this building may fall into disrepair.

Rhona Brankin: Kinloch Castle is a category A-listed building in the ownership of Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH). SNH has taken steps to keep the property wind and watertight and has sought and received professional advice from Historic Scotland on the architectural interest and importance of the building. In addition, SNH has commissioned the Phoenix Trust to provide advice on possible options for future uses of the building.

Student Loans

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is responsible for paying to purchasing banks the outstanding value of student loans of borrowers whose loans were sold by HM Treasury in 1998 and 1999 and who subsequently satisfied one or more of the conditions for having their student loan written off.

Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive is responsible for paying the purchasing banks the actual costs in respect of Scottish borrowers whose loans were sold.

Student Loans

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its estimate was of the average time it would take for graduates to repay their student loans and how this compares to the actual time taken in each year since the student loans system was introduced.

Allan Wilson: For a 2005 graduate commencing repayment in 2006 the forecast average length of time to repay their student loan is approximately 13 years. It is not possible to provide details on the actual time taken for graduates to repay their student loans in each year since the student loan system was introduced. This information cannot be provided until all loans are repaid.

Student Loans

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-14031 by Nicol Stephen on 25 October 2005, whether the Student Loans Company is a creditor for the purposes of the Bankruptcy (Scotland) Act 1985 and, if so, whether a bankrupt student loan borrower would be required to notify the Student Loans Company of their bankrupt status.

Allan Wilson: The Student Loans Company should be considered as a creditor and the debtor would list the Student Loans Company as such so that the Student Loans Company can be notified.

Student Loans

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many student loan debts have been written off and what the total cash value is of the deleted debt.

Allan Wilson: The information is given in the following table.

  

 
 All UK


 Academic Year
 Borrowers
 Write-Off Amount (£)


 1-9-1998
 29,371
 1,481,792 


 1-9-1999
 14,276
 1,150,696 


 1-9-2000
 17,448
 1,591,242 


 1-9-2001
 21,636
 2,256,821 


 1-9-2002
 23,958
 2,930,677 


 1-9-2003
 21,515
 3,155,217 


 1-9-2004
 19,294
 3,622,648 


 1-9-2005
 5,389
 2,071,678 


 Grand Total
 152,887
 18,260,772 



  Source: Student Loans Company.

Student Loans

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it expects to pay in total in subsidies for student loans sold to banks in 1998 and 1999.

Allan Wilson: The subsidies are determined by a formula using daily closing portfolio value multiplied by a subsidy rate. This rate comprises three elements - the margin which is fixed for the life of the contract; the RPI interest rate which changes annually, and the one-month LIBOR interest rate. On this basis, no original total subsidy amount was agreed and no definitive outstanding amount can therefore be determined.

Student Loans

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many deferral applications from Scottish-domiciled students and graduates the Student Loans Company has received in each year of its operation, stating what percentage this represents of all Scottish-domiciled students and graduates due to be in repayment that year.

Allan Wilson: The information is given in the following table.

  

 1. Date of Entry to Repayment (1st April)
 2. Mortgage Style Customers Entering Repayment
 3. Number Deferring at 31 March


 2002
 2003
 2004
 2005


 1991
 88
 6
 7%
 6
 7%
 4
 5%
 3
 3%


 1992
 5,107
 167
 3%
 127
 2%
 116
 2%
 94
 2%


 1993
 7,184
 525
 7%
 427
 6%
 364
 5%
 316
 4%


 1994
 8,208
 1,007
 12%
 881
 11%
 790
 10%
 635
 8%


 1995
 8,491
 1,705
 20%
 1,463
 17%
 1,261
 15%
 1057
 12%


 1996
 11,608
 2,822
 24%
 2,432
 21%
 2,149
 19%
 1864
 16%


 1997
 12,223
 3,930
 32%
 3,411
 28%
 3,027
 25%
 2570
 21%


 1998
 14,476
 6,310
 44%
 5,558
 38%
 4,960
 34%
 4328
 30%


 1999
 13,277
 6,864
 52%
 5,986
 45%
 5,363
 40%
 4669
 35%


 2000
 15,262
 9,323
 61%
 8,244
 54%
 7,250
 48%
 6179
 40%


 2001
 16,085
 11,642
 72%
 9,900
 62%
 8,824
 55%
 7294
 45%


 2002
 14,669
 -
 
 10,513
 72%
 9,177
 63%
 7730
 53%


 2003
 5,250
 -
 
 -
 
 3,626
 69%
 2961
 56%


 2004
 1,414
 -
 
 -
 
 -
 
 915
 65%


 Total
 133,342
 44,301
 33%
 48,948
 37%
 46,911
 35%
 40,615
 30%



  Source: Student Loans Company.

  1. refers to the date of entry to repayment.

  2. refers to the number of mortgage style customers entering repayment.

  3. refers to the number and percentage of students in column 2 who are in deferment from 2002 to 2005.

Student Loans

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many student loan debts for Scottish-domiciled borrowers have been written off and what the total cash value was of the deleted debt in each year of operation of the Student Loans Company.

Allan Wilson: The information is given in the following table

  

 
 Scotland


 Academic Year
 Borrowers
 Write-Off Amount


 1-9-1998
 2,567
 183,822


 1-9-1999
 1,304
 139,049


 1-9-2000
 1,598
 208,853


 1-9-2001
 1,971
 356,625


 1-9-2002
 2,214
 319,785


 1-9-2003
 2,087
 370,245


 1-9-2004
 2,031
 439,132


 1-9-2005
 548
 205,767


 Grand Total
 14,320
 2,223,278



  Source: Student Loans Company.

Student Loans

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-14023 by Mr Jim Wallace on 25 February 2005, whether there were any variations to the contract for the administration of the student loan debt portfolio after the contract with the Student Loans Company expired in March 2004 and was awarded to another agency and, if so, what those variations were.

Allan Wilson: This information is not held by the Scottish Executive.

Waste Management

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with EU officials regarding the Waste Incineration Directive, with specific reference to burning tallow as a fuel.

Rhona Brankin: The Scottish Executive has had no direct discussions with the European Commission about the regulation of tallow burning under the Waste Incineration Directive. However, the Executive is supporting the UK Government’s approaches to the Commission to exempt tallow burning from the scope of this Directive.

Waste Management

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with officials of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) regarding the Waste Incineration Directive, with specific reference to burning tallow as a fuel.

Rhona Brankin: The Scottish Executive has had wide ranging discussions with DEFRA officials about various aspects of the implementation of the Waste Incineration Directive, including the implications for burning tallow.

Waste Management

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made regarding the Waste Incineration Directive, with specific reference to burning tallow as a fuel.

Rhona Brankin: The Executive has supported the UK Government’s representations to the European Commission to exclude tallow from the scope of the Waste Incineration Directive.

Wildlife

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive how many licences for the control of (a) badgers, (b) otters, (c) pine martens, (d) wildcats, (e) herons and (f) bats have been issued since 1999.

Rhona Brankin: Licences are issued under the relevant provisions of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981,The Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994 and the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 where there is no satisfactory alternative to permitting a derogation from the prohibitions on capture, killing or disturbance of the species, or on damage to or destruction of its breeding or resting place. Each licence is considered individually to ensure that the statutory requirements are met.

  Records of licences issued prior to 2000 are not available centrally. The following figures are for the period 2000 to date.

  One hundred and fifty-nine licences have been issued to allow disturbance of badger setts.

  Thirty-five licences have been issued for otters and 76 for bats. The vast majority of these licences authorise disturbance.

  Nine licences have been issued to allow pine martens to be excluded from inhabited property, or for the purpose of preventing serious damage to livestock.

  No licences have been issued in relation to wildcat.

  Two licences have been issued to shoot heron as an aid to scaring to prevent serious damage to fisheries.